I Wrote a Book About Taking Action, Then Nearly Talked Myself Out of Publishing It By Nicola Mullender

I spent nearly twenty years working in mental health and healthcare, and I’d always wanted to write a book. I’d never started one, but I’d always imagined it would be about this.

Over the years I’d become almost hyper-aware of how often people wait to feel ready before doing something they want to do.

Then I went on maternity leave with my son, and I felt compelled to finally do it.

The title popped into my head: The Perfect Time Does Not Exist: Get On With It Anyway. I thought, if that’s going to be the title of my book, I need to actually do it. Not when he’s older. Not when I’m back at work. Not when things are easier. Now.

So every time he was asleep, I wrote.

And then, in a spectacular display of completely missing my own point, I nearly didn’t publish it.

I’m a Mental Health Nurse and Hospital Manager with an established career. What if people thought it was rubbish? What if they laughed at me for trying?

Then I looked at my son.

I want to bring him up believing that you should have a go at things. I realised I cared more about what his opinion of me will be when he grows up, and the influence I’ll have on the way he sees the world, than what random people might think of me.

So I published it and thought, worst case, my son will know exactly what his mum thinks. And if anybody else wants to laugh at me for having a go, crack on.

The ironic thing is, once I stopped worrying about whether I had any business doing it and just got on with it, that’s when things started happening. Which is exactly what my book’s about.

The book began appearing with booksellers internationally. People I never expected to hear from started taking an interest.

I still don’t know where any of it will lead, and I don’t need to.

Sometimes you just need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable and get on with it anyway.